Business leaders in the absorbent hygiene and personal care industry paid rapt attention to presentations on femcare disruptors, material innovations, and demographics at INDA’s 3rd annual Hygienix Conference last week in Austin, TX, Nov. 6-9. The successful event drew over 530 participants from around the world and across the supply chain to advance their business in this important nonwovens and engineered materials sector.

Hygienix featured expert industry speakers from leading global companies that are revolutionizing the absorbent hygiene and personal care industry. The presentations focused on Brand Disruptors, Incontinence Perspectives: Consumer & Institutional, Incontinence Perspectives: Product & Positioning Opportunities, Diapers: Smart & Sustainable, Feminine Hygiene Disruptors, Performance & the Economics of Thinner Diapers, Cutting Edge Approaches to Odor Control, Game Changers: Machine & Technology Developments, Retail & Demographic Groundswells, and Material Science Developments in absorbent hygiene products.

A keynote presentation from Don Frey, chief innovation officer, The Honest Company, detailed how their company leveraged non-traditional marketing channels to become a world leader in personal care. Diane Sheehan, director, Kantar Retail, also delivered a keynote presentation that revealed how private labels are changing the absorbent hygiene landscape.

“Hygienix delivered big this year on valuable insights and innovations through the premium conference content on topics molding the absorbent hygiene industry. This event also brings the industry’s senior leadership to one place at one time. Participants were able to advance their business interests with both the leading edge conference content and over 15 hours of scheduled face-to-face interaction time,” says Dave Rousse, INDA president.

An event highlight was the presentation of INDA’s Hygienix Innovation Award to Advanced Absorbent Technologies’ ALYNE Protective Underwear which manages fluid absorption in protective underwear by using multiple layers of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) that absorb at different rates, from quick absorption to complete absorption without bulkiness.

Other finalists for the award were Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies Little Snugglers Nano Preemie Diapers and Procter & Gamble Company’s Pampers Swaddlers Preemie Diapers.

The Hygienix Conference presented the annual INDA Lifetime Service Award to Bob Averell, senior account manager, Auriga Polymers, Inc., for his decades of service to INDA and the industry.

Additionally, over 100 business leaders participated in a workshop focused on Absorbent Hygiene Products. Led by Carlos Richer, CEO/director, Richer Investment S.A. De C.V. and Eduardo Leal, managing director, Diaper Testing International S.A. De C.V., the workshop explored absorbent hygiene new products, product benchmarks, engineering, design and testing protocols across geographic markets.

The event included 52 tabletop displays exhibiting the latest in innovations and technologies from industry leaders and entrepreneurs. The displays were held in conjunction with two evening receptions attended by hundreds of professionals seeking for new partnerships and collaborators.

The next Hygienix Conference will be held November 5-8, 2018, at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, FL.